A groundbreaking new photographic survey titled "Brutal Scotland" is shedding fresh light on Scotland's remarkable collection of post-war brutalist architecture. Created by acclaimed photographer Simon Phipps, who specializes in capturing modernist buildings, the comprehensive study documents over 160 structures that shaped how Scots lived, worked, and interacted during a transformative period in the nation's history.
Many of the bold concrete structures built during the socially motivated post-war era have since been repurposed, demolished, or left to decay. However, others continue to serve their communities, their architectural impact beautifully preserved in Phipps' striking photographs. The collection spans from the Post Office in Inverness to the Gala Fairydean Rovers Football Club stand in Galashiels, encompassing stadiums, homes, leisure centers, fire stations, churches, and libraries that were constructed for a nation in transition.
These buildings represented architects' visions of a new era filled with opportunity, emphasizing form, utility, and function in equal measure. While their popularity declined by the turn of the century, recent decades have witnessed renewed appreciation for the talent and epochal spirit that created everything from lecture halls to banks. Catherine Slessor, in the book's introduction, notes that Scotland's outstanding collection of brutalist buildings, "impelled by ambitions of nation-building, gave shape to how people lived, worked, studied, shopped, worshipped and spent their leisure time."
Wallpaper magazine praised Phipps' work, stating that he "has turned his often unsparing lens on the architectural heavyweights of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, finding raw beauty in their monumentality, as well as social optimism, progressive politics and the vanishing art of the abstract and obtuse in public life." The publication added that "Phipps's work performs a vital service, giving an overlooked architectural style a much-needed boost – some of them have never looked so good."
The book launched in both hardback and paperback editions on November 13, featuring structures ranging from well-known buildings in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen to more obscure community centers and megastructures. Among the collection, six Glasgow buildings stand out as exceptional examples of the brutalist tradition and Scottish modernism.
The Anderston Centre represents one of Glasgow's most ambitious post-war urban renewal projects. After World War II, Glasgow Corporation designated Anderston as a Comprehensive Development Area, with R. Seifert & Partners winning the competition to design its commercial center. Built between 1967 and 1973 under project architect Ronald Sheridan, the complex was conceived as a vast mixed-use development combining shops, offices, housing, and transport facilities. This multi-level world of decks and towers was designed to allow pedestrians to move above traffic on concrete promenades, embodying the late-1960s ambition to rebuild cities through modern planning and large-scale structural innovation. Though much of the original scheme has been altered or demolished, the remaining towers and decks still convey the scale, confidence, and experimental spirit of that era.
The Bourdon Building at the Glasgow School of Art, completed around 1977, presents a striking contrast to its historic surroundings. Appearing like a weathered brutalist spacecraft looming over Scott Street on slender pilotis, its two ribbed concrete stories feature deeply textured, board-marked surfaces that house the School of Architecture's studios and workshops. The building sits directly opposite Charles Rennie Mackintosh's celebrated Glasgow School of Art, creating a fascinating architectural dialogue. Remarkably, Mackintosh designed his masterpiece while employed by Honeyman & Keppie, the predecessor firm to the Bourdon's architects, Keppie Henderson & Partners, resulting in what can be described as "late era hard-assed brutalism facing off the decorative sensibilities of Mackintosh's early modernism."
Kentigern House stands as a monument to institutional authority and security concerns of its era. Designed by the Property Services Agency for the Ministry of Defence and constructed between 1981 and 1986, this large government office complex features a distinctive ziggurat design that is both functional and austere. Characterized by staggered concrete block elevations, repetitive strip glazing, and a strong sense of order, the building's scale and materials reflect the serious nature of the institution it houses. Its fortified bunker appearance was deliberately designed to address terrorist threats existing during its construction period. The structure displays an almost sculptural discipline in how its levels, stair-towers, entrances, and angled glazing intersect, creating shadows that accentuate its structural geometry while embodying the quiet weight of governmental authority.
Pegasus House exemplifies the pragmatic optimism of 1970s commercial architecture in Glasgow. Designed by Derek Stephenson & Partners and completed in 1970, this office block was defined by disciplined verticals and a precise precast concrete modular grid that projected efficiency and purpose. After years of disuse that left weather staining and urban wear heavily marking its facades, the building has been transformed into a hotel. Despite new signage and cladding, the original modernist rhythm persists, serving as a representative example of the city's late-modern commercial architecture that aimed to project progress and permanence through structure and repetition.
These four remarkable structures represent just a portion of Glasgow's brutalist legacy captured in Phipps' comprehensive survey. Each building tells a story of architectural ambition, social idealism, and the bold vision of architects who sought to reshape urban Scotland during one of its most dynamic periods. Their enduring presence continues to spark debate and appreciation, demonstrating the lasting impact of an architectural movement that dared to reimagine how cities could serve their citizens.
